The moon is a scientific laboratory of extraordinary facility, richness
and benefit. The history of our corner of the solar system for the past
4 billion years is preserved and readable in the ancient dust of the lunar
surface. This record is lost on the dynamic and ever-changing surface of
Earth. Other planets do not record the same events affecting Earth and the
moon, including impacts, space particles and the detailed history of our
sun. The recovery of this record will let us better understand the impact
hazard in the Earth-moon system as well as unravel the processes and evolution
of our sun, the major driver of climate and life on Earth.

“The moon is a stable platform to observe the universe. Its far side
is the only known place in the solar system permanently shielded from Earth's
radio noise. That allows observation of the sky at radio wavelengths never
before seen. Every time we open a new spectral window on the universe, we
find unexpected and astounding phenomena; there is no reason to expect anything
different from the opening of new windows on the universe from the surface
of the moon.”
—
“ Although of fairly ordinary composition, the moon contains the resources
of material and energy that we need to survive and operate in space. With
its resources and proximity to Earth, the moon is a natural logistics and
supply base, an offshore island of useful commodities for use there, in
space and ultimately back on Earth.”

“Conifers, including Christmas trees, dominate many of the world's
ecosystems and include the tallest plants, sequoias, (Sequoia sempervirens)
and the oldest living organisms, the bristlecone pine. (Pinus longaeva).

“Yet these trees suffer a severe handicap: the "pipes,"
or conduits, that carry water up from the roots through the trunks are 10
times shorter than in angiosperms, or flowering trees.

“The trees make up for the handicap with unique, specialized, highly-efficient
valves placed in "end walls" at both ends of the water conduits,[...]
”
—
“Conifers, which arose more than 280 million years ago, have primitive
conduits that are short and inefficient and evolved in some of the oldest
plants some 400 million years ago. The highly efficient, torus-margo valves
evolved in conifers and their relatives no later than 220 million years
ago, Sperry says.

“Flowering plants evolved at least 146 million years ago and retained
inefficient valves that first appeared some 400 million years ago in ferns,
cycads and other primitive plants. But flowering plants evolved longer conduits
to get around the problem.

“ “The evolution of the specialized valve and the specialized
conduit are both ways of achieving more efficient water transport within
a tree,” for conifers and flowering trees, respectively[...] ”

“While Stanford and its partners will address aircraft noise and
emissions, the other five centers will focus on computational modeling of
aircraft structures, airport pavement technology, operations research, airworthiness
assurance and general aviation.” [Quoted from stanford.edu]

M.I.T.aeronautics researchers have developed a

“new procedure, called a continuous descent approach or CDA, [that]
keeps aircraft at cruise altitude until they are relatively close to an
airport. At this point, the aircraft make an even, continuous descent to
the runway. The result is an average noise reduction of four to six decibels.
A three-decibel difference is appreciably noticeable to the human ear while
a 10-decibel reduction equates to 50 percent less noise. Side benefits include
reduced fuel burn and emissions, and slightly shorter flights, as aircraft
operate at lower power settings, stay at higher altitudes, maintain higher
speeds, and take more direct--and thus shorter--paths to the runway.”
[Quoted from mit.edu]

“The [Florida State University] tunnel is one of only a handful in
the country and currently the largest at a university designed specifically
to reduce noise from planes passing overhead and landing.”
—
“[...] engineers have reduced jet engine noise to an extent that it
now makes sense to focus attention on the noise from other aircraft components.

“ “With airframe noise, as little as 10 years ago, very few
people cared,” Cattafesta said. “But today’s
engines have gotten so quiet during landing, airframe noise is what you
hear.” ” [Quoted from ufl.edu]

Ten projects are being conducted by eight core universities:

MIT, Boise State University, Florida International University, the Pennsylvania
State University, Purdue University, Stanford University, University of
Central Florida and University of Missouri-Rolla,

“Once in space, the mother satellite will deploy three 'daughters'.
These will pull out a woven net into a triangle, leaving the mother satellite
at the centre. Once the net is deployed, two palm-sized robots will 'crawl'
along the net into prearranged positions.

“Because the test is only taking place on a sounding rocket, the
satellites will not actually go into orbit around the Earth. Instead they
will be placed on a suborbital trajectory that will loop up into space before
falling back and burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The experiment will experience
around 10 minutes of weightlessness.”
—
“A solar power satellite would need very large structures for its
solar panels and antenna. Small experiments like this can help us mature
the technology needed to build them, [...] ”

“The MovieTime DV10 Projector, which falls in the $1,300 to $1,500
price range, is the only home projector that features an integrated DVD
player and speakers. It also has stereo and even optical audio out for a
true cinematic Surround Sound experience. This makes it perfect for movie
enthusiasts who covet the big-screen experience but have been shy of abandoning
their TVs.”
—
“If you've never witnessed a DLP projector in action,
be warned: Once you experience the rich colors and impressive scale of viewing
your favorite movies on a 12-foot screen, you won't want to go back.”

Optoma DV10 DLP Projector
Note that for best viewing a projection screen is necessary.

“Digital light projection A data projection technology
from TI that produces clear, readable images on screens in lit rooms. DLP
is used in all ends of the projection spectrum, from data projectors that
weigh only a few pounds to large rear-projection TVs to electronic cinema
projectors for movie theaters.

“The technology uses a spatial light modulator known as a Digital
Micromirror Device (DMD). The DMD is a memory chip covered with hinged,
microscopic electromechanical mirrors, one for each pixel on the screen.
For example, a 1280x1024 resolution uses more than a million "micromirrors,"
which tilt 10 degrees forward or backward, acting as light switches. Each
mirror is 16 micrometers square, and all of them fit on a CMOS chip the
size of a postage stamp.”

Note: Be aware that the projection lights on this technology
have a limited life and can be very expensive to replace.

“Whales, for example, have an internal hydraulic system adapted
to their air-breathing ocean existence.

“A chamber behind the eye's lens alternately fills with fluid to
move the lens closer to the retina and empties to move it farther away.
This changes focal length in a way that allows the whales to enjoy clear
sight above and below the water's surface”
—
“ Compound eyes, common in insects such as dragonflies, may utilize
up to 29,000 lenslets per eye.

“These individual lens systems, or ommatidia, function separately
from each other. Each captures its own tiny piece of the overall picture.

“All these tiny images are processed simultaneously in the eye, which
enables insects to have outstanding fast-motion detection.”